I will get to the adventures of this weekend at a later time
because today, as promised, I am reviewing The Book of Paul by Richard Long. As
I previously mentioned, this book is not like any other book I have read. Picture
a happy world filled with happy people who get along in everlasting bliss. This
book is the complete opposite.

Summary:

"Everything you've ever believed about yourself...about
the description of reality you've clung to so stubbornly all your life...all of
it...every bit of it...is an illusion."

In the rubble-strewn wasteland of Alphabet City, a squalid
tenement conceals a treasure "beyond all imagining"-- an immaculately
preserved, fifth century codex. The sole repository of ancient Hermetic lore,
it contains the alchemical rituals for transforming thought into substance,
transmuting matter at will...and attaining eternal life.

When Rose, a sex and pain addicted East Village tattoo
artist has a torrid encounter with Martin, a battle-hardened loner, they
discover they are unwitting pawns on opposing sides of a battle that has shaped
the course of human history. At the center of the conflict is Paul, the
villainous overlord of an underground feudal society, who guards the book's
occult secrets in preparation for the fulfillment of an apocalyptic prophecy.

The action is relentless as Rose and Martin fight to escape
Paul's clutches and Martin's destiny as the chosen recipient of Paul's sinister
legacy. Science and magic, mythology and technology converge in a monumental
battle where the stakes couldn't be higher: control of the ultimate power in
the universe--the Maelstrom.

The Book of Paul is the first of seven volumes in a sweeping
mythological narrative tracing the mystical connections between Hermes
Trismegistus in ancient Egypt, Sophia, the female counterpart of Christ, and
the Celtic druids of Clan Kelly.

Review:

The Book of Paul has to be, hands down, the most messed up
crazy book that I have ever read. This is definitely a book for an acquired taste
and then some. Regardless of this fact, the author Richard Long knows how to
write. The tangled web of each character was hard to grasp at moments, but
right when the book started to get a bit too crazy, he brings you right back
into the story that is closer to reality and it was hard to put the book down. There
were moments in this book that were so elegant and beautiful that it struck me
as odd as the book itself did. For instance, there was a moment when the
narrator of the story was looking into the lives of Rose and Martin. Also
looking into the lives of these two main characters was Paul, the ringmaster of
it all. The moment when the narrator saw Paul looking at him (the narrator) through
the book at all of them was a moment that is unforgettable. Also, getting right
down to the bare bones of it was a love story between Martin and Rose and their
fight to survive in a world that many others don’t know exist. How do you
attain eternal life when life seems doomed from the beginning? Enter Paul and
his lessons of immortality. The character of Paul is biblical, a forced to be
reckoned with, and almost seems immortal. Can one man predict the lives of
others and make them play out the final prophecy? These are just a few of the
questions that I found myself asking and struggling with. This book was out of
my element, but there is something about the words that Long wrote into this story
that made me wanting more and enduring the pain that these characters were
going through. As Rose and Martin try to gain their own lives back by finding
The Book, you will find yourselves in a final battle that is not only epic, but
powerful, gruesome, and raw. Sickles, poison, Uzi’s and torture will leave you
holding your breath as you root for The Guardian and his beautiful Keymaster
who holds the key to his heart.

Well friends, if you want to read a book that will make you
hold your breath, makes your (unknown) guilty pleasures come to life, if you
think life is just an illusion that you can control and is unlike any other,
this one is for you. It is an addiction that you don’t need to stop.

Are you wanting more yet? The Book of Paul can be purchased
here. Don't forget to check out the books official site here!

From the Author:

"The Book of Paul crosses a number of genres. Sometimes when I'm asked
what kind of book it is, I'll say it's a dark, paranormal thriller with occult
horror themes, mystery, suspense, erotica and black humor. Other times, I just
say, "It'll really curl your toes."

About the Author

Richard Long writes to exorcize the demons of his past and
manifest the dreams of his future. His debut novel, The Book of Paul, is a
dark, thrilling, and psychologically rich supernatural horror/thriller that
blends mythology, science and mystery into a page-turning addiction. Richard is
also writing a YA novel, The Dream Palace, primarily so that his children can
read his books. He lives in Manhattan with his wife, two amazing children and
their wicked black cat, Merlin.